Can't Stop Now
by nowaytoreachme
Summary: What happens when a conquest turns into something much, much more? AU LH. Please R&R.
1. Once Again

This is my first fic posted here. Hope you like it!

What happens when a conquest turns into something much, much more?

Character Descriptions:

Lucas, Nathan, and Brooke rule the school. Lucas and Nathan are the guys to be at THH. They play basketball like on the show. They are both jerks. Brooke is the head cheerleader. She is like she was at the beginning of season one, but you can sometimes see a more gentle side to her; not very often though. Peyton is on the cheer squad with Brooke. They are not bestfriends like on the show. Peyton is Haley's bestfriend. Haley is exactly like her character on the show. Peyton and Haley grew up being bestfriends.

Disclaimer: Don't own One Tree Hill..

Chapter One: Once Again

It was a cold, winter day when Haley James walked towards the double doors of her highschool, Tree Hill High. She sighed as she reached for the handle on the door, knowing that today would just be another ridiculous day. Haley loved school...just not the one she was at. She loved learning new things and teaching others; that was why she was a tutor, and partly considered a nerd. She walked through the door and over to her locker, where her bestfriend Peyton Sawyer was standing. "Hey." Haley said simply before opening her locker. "Thanks for calling me back last night." Peyton said sarcastically as she leaned against the side lockers. Haley moved her locker door so that she could see Peyton directly, "You're oh, so welcome." She said, smiling brightly. Peyton quirked an eyebrow, while looking at her blankly. "Sorry, my phone died and I couldn't find my charger. Add that to I didn't sleep at all last night, and you've got one pissed off Haley James." She said, slamming her locker shut.

Haley and Peyton began walking down the hall. "And you couldn't sleep at all because?" Peyton asked, turning her attention to her friend. "Quinn's wedding." Haley said simply. "That has to do with you how?" Peyton quirked her eyebrow once again. "Well, one, she's freaking out about every single detail. And two, the whole family is now in town. Guess where they're staying?" Haley asked, as she stopped walking to face Peyton. "Oh, that's right." Peyton said, nodding, "I forgot they were all coming into town."

"Yeah." Haley said, rubbing her temples in attempt to calm her headache. "Lucky me." She said, as she began walking. Before she could even walk an inch, she bumped into someone, making her stumble backwards and drop the books she was carrying. "Watch..." Haley's words halted once she saw the person standing before her. "...it." She finally said in a hushed voice. "Funny, I was going to say the exact same thing to you." He said. "Sorry." Haley mumbled, looking away. "Are you really? 'Cause it doesn't really seem to me like you are." He said, taking a step towards her.

Peyton took a step forward as well, standing infront of Haley. "Look, Lucas, she said she was sorry." Lucas scoffed. Before he could say anything else, Nathan and Brooke walked up to them. "What's going on?" Brooke asked, looking towards Lucas. He remained quiet. She looked towards Haley and Peyton, then towards the ground, spotting the thrown books. "Oh...tragic." She said, simply before shrugging. Her glance went to Peyton. "Peyton." She said in acknowledgement, adding a fake smile. Brooke then looked towards Haley. She opened her mouth to say something, but hesitated. "Peyton's friend." She finally said before grabbing Nathan's hand and walking down the hallway. Lucas laughed at Brooke's comment. He gave Haley once last look before following Nathan and Brooke down the opposite end of the hallway. Haley bent down to pick up her books. Once she retrieved all of them, she stood up, and sighed heavily. She looked over at Peyton, who gave her a sympathetic look. "Yeah...lucky you." Peyton said before grabbing Haley's arm and walking the rest of the way down the hall.

-----

Haley glanced toward the lunch table where Lucas, Nathan, and Brooke sat. They were laughing about something. She was sure they were talking about her, about what had happened this morning. The sound of a tray hitting the table caused Haley to jump. "Whoa. You okay?" Peyton asked, before taking a seat. "Yeah." Haley replied, straightening in her seat. "O-kay." Peyton said, hesitantly. "Where's Jake?" Haley asked, changing the subject. Before Peyton could answer, Jake sat down beside her. "Right here." She said as she looked over at him and intertwined his fingers with her own. Haley smiled before looking down at her food. "So, this looks gross. What do you guys think?" She asked, examining her food. She waited for a response, but got nothing. She looked up to see Peyton and Jake totally engrossed with one another. "I'm glad you two agree." She mumbled, looking back down at her food.

-----

Haley sighed, glancing down at her watch. The person she was supposed to be tutoring was almost 45 minutes late. "Forget this." She said, getting up from the table and walking over to the door. She opened the door and walked out, only to stop once her body hit someone infront of her. 'Not again!' She thought. This time she was really going to give it to whoever it was. "Are you blind or something?" Lucas asked, quirking an eyebrow.

It was him...again.


	2. Too Innocent Looking

**Okay...so, I already had this chapter written awhile ago. I thought I would update. I need to know if you all like my story so I can decide on whether or not I should continue. Thank you to those who replied! Your thoughts mean so much to me. :) Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 2: "Too Innocent Looking"

Haley rolled her eyes at his comment. She wanted to stand up to him, she wanting to say the mean things that were on her mind at this very moment...but she couldn't. "Don't tell me you're deaf, too." He added, tilting his head to the side. "Sorry." She said, moving so that she could get passed him; no such luck. He moved with her. Haley tightned the grip around the strap of her bag that was placed her shoulder. "Good." He replied. Haley's feet began to move backwards in order to stop him from getting so close to her. She wasn't quite sure what he would was going to do. Once her back hit the cold metal of the lockers behind her, she gasped slightly. Lucas couldn't help but smirk as he walked even closer. "You should be, you know...sorry." He said, stopping infront of her, dangerously close. Haley's heart began to beat a very quick pace. Her breathing became rapid as well. She wasn't sure what she was going to do; she knew she had to get out of there. Lucas brought his hand up to her cheek, caressing it slowly. She had to get out of there...she had to do something. She knew this was just one of his games; she knew how he was. Haley pushed his hand away from her cheek and walked as fast as she could away from him.

Lucas shook his head. "What the hell was that?" A voice said from behind him. Lucas turned around to see Brooke eyeing him suspiciously. "Just having some fun." He said. "Seems like." She said, looking in the direction Haley had just gone. "Looks like your charm didn't work on that one." She added, crossing her arms over her chest. Lucas laughed at this. She had to be kidding. "Do you know who you're talking to?" He asked her. "I thought I did...Now, I'm not so sure." She said, with a smile. "I bet that you couldn't even get that girl to give you the time of day."

Lucas rolled his eyes before replying, "I bet I could. I bet I could also get her to give me a lot more as well." He grinned at his own words. "Oh, really?" Brooke asked, walking closer to him. She placed her hand on his cheek, "I don't think so, baby." He grabbed her hand, moving it away from him. "That girl is probably the most virginal thing I've ever seen." She added, making a face of digust. "You underestimate me." He said. "Fine, prove me wrong." She said. "Okay, Brooke." Lucas said in a sarcastic tone. "I'm serious, Luke. I dare you." She said, in all seriousness. Lucas stared at her for what seemed like forever, contemplating what he should do and what exactly were her motives.

"It's a bet." He said, simply, before walking towards the gym. "It's a bet." Brooke said, repeating his words.

-----

"So, tell me again why I'm here?" Haley asked Peyton as they got out of Peyton's car. They were at a party being held at the Scott's beachhouse. "Because...it's fun!" Peyton exclaimed, shutting the car door behind her. She walked over to Haley and placed her hand on her shoulder. "Look, you need to get out more. These parties aren't as bad as you think. You've never been to one...don't judge." She said. "I've never been to one because they're stupid." Haley replied. Peyton rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Haley. Stay for ten minutes if you want, but you are going inside that house." She said, grabbing ahold of Haley's arm and dragging her towards the front door.

Once they got inside, Peyton spotted Jake talking to a few of his teammates. She turned towards Haley. "Go." Haley said, without Peyton having to say a word. "Alright. But, be careful. Tell me when you want to leave. And...have fun. Please." Peyton said before walking to to Jake. "Fun...right." Haley said to herself before moving further into the house.

-----

Haley had been at the party for quite some time now. She was completely and utterly bored. Howvever, Peyton looked like she was having fun, and she didn't want to force her to leave. She was just going to have to grin and bare it for a little longer. Haley's eyes drifted to the stairs, wondering if she could find a room to herself and watch some TV. That sounded a lot better than whatever she was doing now. She walked over the stairs, making her way past the many couples making out on the stairs. She rolled her eyes at this sight. Once she reached the top, she surveyed the rooms down the hallway, looking for an empty one. The first room she actually went in was at the end of the hallway. The room was huge. She walked further inside, shutting the door behind her. She could still hear the loud music from downstairs, but atleast the room was better than being surrounded left and right by drunken teenagers.

She walked around the single lighted room, taking everything in. She saw a few pictures placed around the room of Lucas and Nathan as kids. Haley picked up a frame, smiling to herself; they actually looked...innocent. That could not be said about their father, however. His face was cold looking, rugid.

-----

Lucas walked out from the bathroom, wearing loose fitted jeans and nothing else. He had just gotten done with the shower he wanted to take before heading downstairs. He ran his hand through his damp hair, stopping once he spotted her. 'This is going to be too easy'. He thought to himself before walking towards her. Haley had her back turned, she was still looking at the pictures before her. Once Lucas was close enough he spoke, "Do you always snoop through people's things?" He asked, causing Haley to jump and drop the picture in her hands. Haley spun around to see Lucas standing directly infront of her. "I, um...I..." Haley began, fumbling over her words. What in the hell was wrong with her? So what if this guy was an extremely gorgeous boy, he was an ass.

"Are you okay?" Lucas asked, leaning into her and running his hand down her bare arm, causing chill bumps for form all over Haley's arm. "Yeah." Haley mumbled. She was trying to compose herself. She wasn't quite sure what he was doing. "Good." He said, before using the bureau behind her to push himself from her. Haley's breathing began to ease the moment his body left hers. "Haley, right?" He said, walking over to the bed and taking a seat. He hadn't known her name less than an hour. He had decided if he was going to win this bet, he might as well know the girls name. "Yeah." Was all she said. Since when did her vocabulary only consist of a one syllable word? Lucas looked over at her and smiled. "I'm Lucas."

"I know." She replied before rolling her eyes. He smiled once again, causing Haley to grip onto the table behind her for balance. "So, what brings you into my bedroom?" He asked, getting up from the bed and walking over to the closet. Haley couldn't help but stare at his bare chest as he walked across the room. Lucas could feel her eyes on him causing him to grin slightly. "I was just...looking around." She said, lamely. She wanted to slap herself for being such a nerd. "I see." Lucas said as he emerged from the closet. He was no wearing a white collared shirt that fit just right. "The party too calm for you?" He asked, once again walking towards her. "No, it's not that...it's just..." Haley was cutt off once he began to speak again, "You don't come to these things often, do you?"

Haley crossed her arms over her chest, "What gave it away?" She asked him. "Too innocent looking." He said, looking directly into her eyes. He stopped walking once he was directly infront of her. This action caused Haley to lose all her senses; he knew it too. Haley began to back away from until her back hit the wall, causing her movement to stop. Once he reached her, he leaned against her once again as if it were a way of trapping her between himself and the wall. He tilted his head forward, so that his lips were just centimeters away from her own. "That could be changed though." He added, in a hushed voice. He moved his lips to the corner of her mouth, kissing it softly. Haley didn't know what to do or how to react. Okay, that was a lie. She knew how to react. All she wanted to do now was to grab his face and crash her lips on his. However, this was all new to her. She had never been in this position before. Soon enough, Lucas' lips were on her neck, causing her to lean to the opposite side to give him more access. He left a trail of kisses from the end of her neck to the top. Then, he moved to her cheek, kissing her softly until he reached the side of her lips. Before he could even make it to her lips, Haley grabbed his face, forcefully placing her lips against his own.

Haley could feel Lucas smile against her lips, causing her to grab a hold of his shirt and bring him even closer to her. He pushed her even further into the wall. Haley gasped slightly at this. The kiss deepened, his tongue outlined her mouth as if trying to memorize every inch of it. Lucas placed his right hand under shirt, until it reached her stomach. He rubbed his thumb against her bare stomach in a circular movement causing goosebumps to form as they had earlier from his touch. Haley sucked on his bottom lip hungrily.

Haley could feel Lucas' body leaving her own, causing her to tighten the grasp she had of his shirt. He took his hand and placed it around her own as he took a few steps backwards toward the bed. Once the back of his legs hit the bed, he turned them around so that now Haley's back was facing the bed. He pushed her slightly until they were both lying down. Lucas began to lift Haley's shirt until it was fully off. He then brought his lips down to her bare stomach, leaving a trail of hungry kisses from her abdomen to her neck. Haley closed her eyes, giving in the sensation she was feeling. Bring his hand to her back, Lucas unclasped her bra and ran his hands over her soft, creamy breasts. She arched her back in response.

Haley could hear a slight ringing noise coming from somewhere in the room. She pulled away. "Don't worry about it." Lucas said, placing a hand under her chin and bringing his lips back to her own. The ringing stopped and Haley brought her hands down to the buckle of his belt. At this point, for some unknown reason, there was no stopping her. The ringing began to begin again. Lucas pulled himself away from Haley. He sighed heavily. She could tell he was angry. "What?" He answered, the tone in his voice scaring her slightly. "Okay." He said. Haley looked around the room not knowing what exactly she should be doing. "I said okay!" Her glance shot back up at him, watching him hang up. He looked down at her blankly before getting up. "Gotta go." He mumbled before opening the door and walking out of the room.

What the hell just happened?

**Okay...so, what do you think about bad Lucas? Who do you think called him, and where exactly did he go? Are you liking how this story is going so far?**

**Let me know by R&R**


	3. For Some Reason

_**Thank you so much for the reviews! I love you all. :) Sorry it took awhile for an update, I've been a little busy. I hope you like this new chapter. **_

Chapter 3: "For Some Reason"

"You are such an idiot." Peyton said, staring blankly at her bestfriend.

"Peyton." Haley said sternly.

"What?" Peyton asked, as she raised her hands up in the arm. "You are. To do that with someone you barely know...especially with Lucas Scott. That is so unlike you."

Haley sighed not knowing what to say to Peyton's remarks. She knew it was wrong, but it sure as hell didn't feel wrong. Haley had to admit that Peyton was right.

"Was he drunk?" Peyton asked.

"No, Peyton." Peyton nodded slowly.

"Were you drunk?" Haley shook her head and then looked down at her history book, trying to forget about the whole situation. She and Peyton were sitting outside at one of the many tables eating lunch. "Please tell me he's a good kisser." Peyton said, simply. Haley couldn't help but smile. She looked up at her best friend and nodded. "Good. A boy that cocky should have atleast that going for him." She said before taking sip from her water bottle.

-----

Haley was trying to pay attention during class, but she couldn't. Thoughts of what had happened during the party kept flowing through her mind. Why didn't he say anything? Why did he just leave? He was using her...there was no other excuse. She wasn't going to let that happen again. She was thrown out of her thoughts at the sound of the bell. Haley got out of her desk after grabbing all of her stuff. She walked out into the hall, and over to her locker. Once her locker was opened, she tossed her book inside, messily. She felt someone place their hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump and turn around. It was Peyton.

Peyton began to laugh, making Haley roll her eyes. "You okay?" She asked, seeing that Haley was not amused in the slightest.

"Yeah, of course." Haley said, nodding. "You just scared me." She added.

They heard loud laughter coming from down the hall. Both Haley and Peyton turned to see where it was coming from. They spotted Lucas and Nathan at the end of the hallway, followed by their posse. Haley's breath caught in her throat at the sight of him. Throughout the day, she hadn't seen him at all. However, now that she had, her heart began to beat in a quicker pace. "

There's your boy toy." She heard Peyton mumble.

"I gotta go." Haley said, abruptly before walking as quickly as she could in the opposite direction. Usually her exit would be unnoticed by many, but there was a certain someone who had watched her walked away.

-----

It was the last class of the day and Haley couldn't be happier. She was in the tutor center for last period. However, today, the person she was supposed to tutor was a no show. That seemed to be happening a lot lately. They wouldn't show up, and she wastes an hour of her life. This time, she decided to do something productive. She sighed heavily, glad that she had finally finished her English assignment. Closing her notebook, she looked over at the clock. 30 minutes until the bell.

She heard a soft knock on the door to the room, causing her to look up. The door opened slowly as someone took a step inside. Haley's mouth dropped slightly. It was Lucas. He walked further into the room, shutting the door behind him. "What are you doing here?" She asked, once her vocal cord seemed to begin working again.

"I need your help." He said, a smile playing on his lips.

"With school work?" Haley asked. Lucas' smile grew even wider.

"Not exactly." She gave him a look a confusement, but that quickly faded once she got what he was speaking of. Her heart began to beat a quicker pace, as it had earlier that day when she had spotted him.

She looked away from him, her cheeks turning a bright shade of red from embarrassment. "Well..." Haley said as she got up, "This room is for me helping people...with school work." She added, walking over to the filling cabinet, putting away the absent students records.

"Okay." Lucas said, a laugh hinting in the tone of his voice. "How about Anatomy?" He asked, walking over to her. He stood behind her, placing his hands on her arms that were laying stiffly against the sides of her body. "I could use a refresher course." He whispered into her ear, sending chills down her spine. She knew she had to stand up to him. She wasn't going to have a repeat of the other night where he just left once he's had his fun.

"I don't know much about that." She said quietly. It took all the strength she had to move away from him and back over to the table in the middle of the room.

Lucas let out a frustrated sigh as he turned around to look at her. "Well, I could teach you what I remember and then...improvise." He said, making his way back over to her.

"Look, Lucas. I think you should go." She said, leaning against the table. "

You think?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"You should go." She said, sounding a bit more sure of herself. He walked over to her, placing his hands on either side of her. He made sure that their lips were only centimeters apart.

"Okay." Lucas finally said, taking a step back.

"Okay?" Haley asked, questioning her own statement. She hadn't really thought he would give up that easily.

"Yeah." Lucas said, shrugging. "If you want me to go...I'll go." He walked over to the door slowly, smiling to himself. He knew she wasn't going to let him go so easily. He was going to play the innocent card, which was somewhat of a stretch for him, but not impossible. He began walking towards the door, hoping his plan would work. Haley watched his retreating form. She shook her head. For some unknown reason, when he was around her, she wasn't in control, and she hated that.

"Where did you go exactly...the other night?" She asked.

Lucas stopped in his tracks and looked back at her. He quirked his eyebrow in response. "I had to take care of something." He said, turning around so that he was now facing her.

Haley nodded slowly, not knowing what to say. Right now, she was feeling horrible about herself...about everything. She had acted so unlike her usual self that night and she really didn't know how to act about it or what to think. She looked down, and began to take a great interest in her intertwined hands. Lucas took in her appearance. He could tell something was wrong.

He walked over to her, taking a seat beside her on the table. "Hey..." He said quietly, causing her to look up at him. She thought he would say something, but he didn't. She could tell he wanted to apologize, but he didn't...or couldn't.

"It's a good thing you left anyways..." She began, looking away from him once again. "It was a mistake...on my part atleast." She added.

Lucas smiled before shaking his head slightly. "There are no mistakes...only people who regret their choices." He said, looking her directly in the eyes.

Haley nodded, tearing her glance away from his own. "Maybe." She mumbled. "Look...we don't know eachother, and we should just keep it that way." She added, getting up from her sitting position.

Lucas rolled his eyes. Why did she have to be so dramatic about all of this? Maybe this wasn't going to be as easy as he thought. At first he had thought she would just melt at his 'charming ways', but now it was obvious that his so called charm did not appeal to her. "Get to know me?" He asked. He bit his tongue at the sound of his own patheticness. However, desperate times call for desperate measures. He wanted to prove to Brooke that she had no idea what the hell she was talking about. And, part of him wanted to prove it to himself too.

Haley turned around to look at him. She sighed before grabbing her books and walking out of the tutor center door.

-----

Haley made her way out of the shower. It had been a long day, and all she wanted was to relax. She picked up the towel lying on the counter and wrapped it around her body, tightening it securely. She opened the door, leading to her bedroom. Once she walked through the door, she jumped. Lucas was lying on her bed, looking at her. "What the hell?" Haley exclaimed.

"Your door was unlocked." He said, as he got up from the bed. At first Haley thought he would walk over to her, but he didn't. His feet stood planted on the ground, and he just watched her, her movements, her reactions.

"So, you just let yourself in?" Haley asked. Her nerves were taking over her. She quickly grabbed ahold of the loose towel around her, tightening her grip even more then she had beforehand.

Lucas laughed. "Like I said, your door was unlocked." He said before walking around her room. "So, this is it, huh?" He said, looking at all the pictures that were placed amongst her walls.

"Yep." Haley said, looking around the room for clothes...for anything to cover herself with.

Lucas looked over at her and couldn't help but smile. He loved the affect her had on her. He could tell she was uncomfortable and nervous, and he enjoyed it.

"Why are you here?" Haley asked, looking over at him.

"Not happy to see me?" Lucas asked her as he walked closer to her. Haley remained silent...afraid to answer his question. "That's what I thought." He said, once he was infront of her. "You never answered my question."

"I don't remember being asked a question. But, I remember asking you one just a minute ago." Haley said.

Lucas couldn't help but laugh. She was fiesty. He liked that. "Okay, and this is my answer to your question." He replied. Haley quirked an eyebrow, not knowing what he was talking about. "Get to know me." He said, making Haley understand the point he was now trying to get across. This time, instead of asking, he made it seem like more of a command.

"Lucas..." Haley said, as she shook her head. She didn't know what to say to him. She barely knew him. With the things she had heard, Lucas was the 'love 'em and leave 'em' type. But, for some unknown reason, he wasn't leaving this time, and she had no idea why.

Lucas took another step towards, in an attempt to persuade her decision. Once he was just inches away, Haley brought her hand up to his chest to stop him. He brought his hand up to her own, removing it from his body, but keeping his fingers intertwined with her own. He then brought his lips to her ear, "I'll pick you up tomorrow at eight." He said before backing away from her and walking out of the room.

Haley watched as he left. She didn't want to smile, but for some reason she couldn't quite help it.


	4. Not So Easy

**Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. I was having a little writers block concerning this particular fic. Anyways, thank you all who left reviews and even PMed me asking me to update. I appreciate it so much! I hope you like this next chapter! Enjoy…**

Chapter 4: "Not So Easy"

"What are we doing tonight?" Peyton asked, looking over at Haley as they both grabbed books from their lockers.

Haley shrugged her shoulders, not knowing what to say. Tonight was the night she was supposed to go out with Lucas. But, had she even agreed to go? The truth was, she hadn't. However, she couldn't help but be intrigued by the offer.

Peyton shut her locker, as she directed her eyes back towards Haley. She quirked an eyebrow as she waited for her best friend to say something.

Haley looked her way once she was done dealing with her books. She didn't tell Peyton about the whole incident with Lucas. "I need to tell you something." She said, in a slow, hushed voice.

"Please tell me you didn't almost have sex with a Scott boy again." Peyton said, rolling her eyes. The tone in her voice had a hint of laughter to it, and she was speaking rather loudly.

"Peyton!" Haley yelled, before looking around the hallway making sure no one had heard the conversation between the two.

"I'm sorry." Peyton said, unable to keep herself from laughing at the panic look displayed across Haley's facial features. "Is everything okay?" She added, her own facial expressions becoming more serious with each word.

Once Haley nodded in response, she went on to tell Peyton about her little encounter with a certain blonde boy. She explained how the minute she walked out of the shower, she saw him lying on her bed, a mischievous smile playing upon his lips.

"You have to go, Hales." Peyton said, once Haley was done with her story. She grabbed a hold of Haley's forearm, "And then, you have to finish what you started the other night." She added, smiling brightly.

"Peyton." Haley said, sternly. "That was a mistake. I don't know what go into me."

"I do." Peyton mumbled.

Haley rolled her eyes before she began walking down the hallway. Once Peyton was by her side, she continued, "Besides, I'm paying for that mistake, obviously."

Peyton let out a heavy sigh. "Just think about it. Okay?"

Haley nodded slowly, watching as Peyton glanced down at her watch.

"I have to go meet up with Jake, but I'll call you after school." She said, before sending Haley a slight wave and walking off.

Haley shook her head slightly before continuing her walk down the hallway to her next class. She maneuvered her way amongst the many teenagers flooding the small and narrow hallway.

Once she was halfway to her class, she felt a hand grab her arm and pull her into a classroom. She opened her mouth to speak, yell even, but was stopped once a finger was placed gently against her lips. She looked up to see Lucas standing before her.

"What are you doing?" She asked once he removed his finger from her lips.

"I wanted to see you." He mentally laughed to himself as he spoke, knowing this girl was going to give in, in no time.

"Well, now you've seen me." She said, as she looked away, trying to fight the blush that was creeping to the surface of her cheeks.

"We still on for tonight?" He asked, bringing his face just a bit closer to her own.

Haley's breath caught in her throat. Was she even going to go? The constant voice in her head was telling her to just stay as far away possible from this boy, but then again, something else was telling her to just go for it.

"I, um…" She said, trying to find the right words. She looked down at her hands, out of a nervous habit she had grown to obtain over the years.

Lucas brought his hand to her chin, tilting her head slightly so that her eyes were looking up at his own. He had to admit she had beautiful eyes. They were so innocent looking, yet so dark and mysterious, but not in a bad way.

Once he felt himself staring, he looked away. "You what?" He whispered, looking back at her.

Haley sighed inwardly. "I'll see you at 8." She said, not fully aware of the words coming out of her mouth.

Lucas smiled down at her. "8 it is." He said, before bringing his lips to her cheek and kissing her softly. He moved away from her and walked out of the classroom, not caring if anyone had seen the encounter between them. He had a bet to win, and he was going to do whatever it takes.

----

"I knew you were going to say yes." Peyton said, once she and Haley took a seat for lunch.

Haley rolled her eyes as she opened her bottle of water. "I must be crazy." She said, before taking a sip.

"Why? Because you're attracted to an extremely hot guy?" Peyton questioned.

"No. Because I'm attracted to an extremely hot guy that happens to be one of the biggest jerks in school." She shook her head, thinking she was going nuts. How could she like him?

"Minor detail." Peyton said, laughing to herself.

"This isn't funny, Peyton. When I'm with him, I just feel like I can't think for myself. I feel like I have no control at all. That isn't normal."

"That's how I feel with Jake most of the time." Peyton replied, smiling to herself.

"Yeah, but you two are in love." Haley sat back in her chair, looking across the table at her friend.

"And maybe you're on your way." Peyton said, looking directly at her.

Haley laughed loudly. "And what drugs are you on again?" She asked.

"Ha, ha." Peyton said, not amused in the slightest. "Time will tell."

----

Haley stared at her reflection in the mirror. Five outfits, three hairstyles later, she had finally decided on how she wanted to look for tonight. She had been calling Peyton nonstop asking her questions every five minutes. Peyton would laugh at her, making her feel even more like a fool.

She looked at the clock, which read 7:55 p.m. A chill went down her spine as she thought about what tonight was going to be like. Would she end up doing something she regretted like she had the night of the party? Would he just ditch her again?

The sound of the doorbell ended her thoughts. She gave herself one last look before she rushed down the stairs to the front door. Pausing for a moment, she took in a deep breath before placing her hand on the doorknob and opening the door slowly.

He stood before her dressed in khaki shorts and a dark blue polo shirt. "Hey." He said softly.

She smiled up at him and he sent a smile in return, taking in her appearance. She, herself, was wearing a black skirt that was knee length and a white camisole. He couldn't help but think how pretty she looked. Even though she was in an outfit some would call plain, she still had something about her.

He shook his head, trying to get rid of the thoughts. "You ready to go?" He asked.

"Yeah, um…let me get my purse." She said before walking towards the living room.

Lucas walked closer to the door, but stayed outside as he waited for her. Haley appeared back at the door only moments after she had left. She smiled once again. "Ready." She said, shutting the door behind her.

----

"So," Haley began as she looked in Lucas' direction, "This is where you wanted to take me?" She asked as they walked down the long pier, a large body of water surrounding them.

Lucas laughed slightly. "You don't like it?" He asked her.

"No, it's beautiful!" Haley replied in her defense. She stopped walking once they reached their destination, a small water fountain placed in the middle of the pier. "I'm just a little confused as to why you brought me _here_."

He nodded slowly, taking a seat by the water fountain. She sat beside him turning her body towards his. "It's just calming here, you know? It gets me away from all the shit in my life." He ran a hand through his hair before looking over at the water before them.

Haley took in a deep breath. She wasn't sure exactly why he was telling her this, but she was glad he was. "Like what?" She heard herself ask.

He looked over at her, shaking his head a bit. "Nothing you want to hear about."

"Oh. Okay." She said, quietly, looking down. She was crazy to think he would actually tell her.

Lucas could hear the disappointment in her voice. He brought his hand to the side of her face, rubbing his thumb lightly against her cheek.

Haley looked up, slightly shocked at the intimate gesture. She leaned into his touch before he brought his lips to her own, kissing her softly.

He went to deepen the kiss, but felt her pull away. He cleared his throat before moving away from her. That was _new. _

"I'm sorry." She said, not looking directly at him. "That night at the party…" She paused, taking in a deep breath. "I wasn't myself. I -" She was cut off as Lucas got up from his seat.

"It's fine." He mumbled. "We should get going." He added, looking anywhere and everywhere except in her direction.

Haley nodded before getting up as well.

Was he mad because she pulled away, or because he simply wasn't used to not getting what he wanted? He wasn't quite sure.

**Please everyone that is reading, review. I want to know what you all think:)**


	5. Forgiveness and Deception

**Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate you all taking the time to read and leave me sweet comments. Please, if you're reading, review. I want to know everyone's thoughts. I hope you all like this next chapter. It's a little short, but I have some stuff to come that, hopefully, will be worth it.**

**Chapter 5: "Forgiveness and Deception"**

It had been a long week. Haley sighed as the last bell of the last day of the week went off throughout the small school. She grabbed her things and walked out into the hallway, ignoring a few stares headed in her direction.

People had been talking about her and Lucas. Rumors had been going around, and Haley was anything but pleased. She wasn't used to a few people talking about her, let alone the majority of the school. Everyone knew how Lucas was; they were just assuming that she must be some kind of slut to be involved with him.

Before she reached her locker she saw _him _leaning against it. She didn't know what she was going to do, or even say to him. Once she was close by, Haley pushed past a few people before she was finally in front of Lucas. "Hey." Her voice was quiet, as if she were scared to say too much or to speak too loudly.

"Hey." He mumbled.

The both stared at one another for quite some time. Haley could feel even more stares barring down on her; she couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed Lucas' hand and walked towards an empty classroom.

I know you're mad at me." She said, once they were further into the room.

Lucas shook his head. "I'm not mad." He said, keeping his eyes from hers. He had a plan. He was going to play the sympathy card. "I'm just...confused. I mean, one minute I think you like me, and then when I kiss you, you pull away?"

Haley closed her eyes, sighing slightly. "I _do_ like you." She said, looking up at him.

"You don't act like it." He paused, intently looking down at her, "This was just a bad idea." Lucas said, walking towards the doorway.

"Wait." Haley said. She closed her eyes once again, taking in a deep breath. She hated this. She hated not being able to stop liking him. Haley knew she should have just let him walk away, and end things, but it wasn't that simple; nothing ever was.

Lucas smiled to himself. He kept his back turned to hide his expression.

Haley walked towards him, taking his hand in hers. He turned around slowly, his eyes reaching hers, and never leaving them. Her eyes showed the same feelings that were rushing through her – _fear, pain, want… need_.

Lucas' breath caught in his throat. No one had ever looked at him the way Haley was at this very moment. He brought his hands up to her face, placing the palm of his hands against her cheeks.

They moved closer to one another so that there was no distance in between. Lucas moved his face closer, placing his forehead against her own. Haley closed her eyes, as did Lucas. She brought her lips to his, kissing him softly.

Before she had the chance to deepen the kiss, Lucas pulled back. Haley opened her eyes, confused by his actions. Was he going to say some mean remark before walking away? Was he going to say anything at all? She stared up at him, expectantly waiting for some kind of reaction.

"Alright, I forgive you." He said, smiling down at her.

Haley tried to keep herself from smiling, but she couldn't help it. She brought her hands up to his, which were still against her face. She squeezed gently. "Good." She whispered before crashing her lips against his.

-----

"Fuck her yet?" Brooke asked, sliding her hands over Lucas' shoulders. Lucas didn't bother to turn around. He removed her hands before grabbing his book bag from the bottom of his locker.

"Hi, Brooke." He said, unenthusiastically.

"Hi yourself." She said, leaning her body against the locker located next to Lucas'. "So?"

"So, what?" He questioned, slamming the door shut and looking in her direction.

"You didn't answer my question."

"I'm not the kind who talks about that kind of thing." Lucas said, smiling to himself before walking past her.

"Like hell you're not!" She yelled, chasing after him. Once she reached him, she stepped in front of him, blocking him from walking any further. "Spill."

Lucas rolled his eyes, looking away from her.

Brooke gasped at this. "You haven't, have you?"

Lucas didn't answer her, he just continued to stare at the wall before him.

"Wow, Luke. You're losing your touch." Brooke said, laughing at the thought.

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about, Brooke." He said, harshly.

"Fine. Prove it." She said, walking up to him, placing her hands on his chest in a seductive manner.

He grinned, grasping her hands in his. "I will." And with that, he walked away from her, out of the school.

-----

Haley threw her pen down at the sound of the doorbell. She had been studying for what seemed like hours. She glanced at the clock, seeing that it was 10:05. Who would be ringing her doorbell at this hour?

Once she reached the door, she opened it slowly, not sure what, or who to expect. She finally could get a better look. Her eyes widened slightly, not expecting to see him standing before her. "Lucas?"

**Cliffhanger! Sorry, but….what does Lucas want? Hmm….it's hard to say. ;) Now, please, click that nice little bottom located directly below these very words and I will love you before! **


	6. Could Be the Start of Something Good

**Hey everyone! I am so sorry that I haven't updated in forever. I'm finally home for the summer so I will try my best to update as frequently as possible. Thanks for all the reviews and for waiting! I hope you like it.**

Chapter 6: "This Could Be the Start of Something Good, Don't You Agree?"

Haley opened the door to her locker as the loud bell rang throughout the hallway. She grabbed a few books for English. Her eyes wandered down the hall, connecting with a certain blonde boy. He stared back at her intensely, as students filtered throughout the hallway.

"_Lucas?" Haley asked. She leaned her body against the door, and stared at the boy in front of her. He looked so lost._

"_Hey." He whispered. He moved closer to her, placing the palm of his hands against the sides of her face._

_Haley smiled, grabbing a hold of his wrists gently. "What are you doing here?" She asked._

"_I just wanted to see you." He replied, kissing her softly, pulling away after their lips had touched just momentarily._

_Haley's eyes remained closed momentarily after the kiss had ended. "At ten o'clock at night?" She asked, looking up at him._

_He nodded, "I've never really been good with timing."_

"_Oh." She said, her lips forming an o-shape that remained for a quick moment. "Is everything okay?" She asked. As she looked into his eyes, she could tell something was off, that something was bothering him. _

_Instead of answering her, he brought his lips back to her own, dropping his hands from her cheeks, down to her waist. He pulled her towards him so that there was no room left between them. __Lucas couldn't stop the little moan escaping from his lips. Their tongues met and tangled with one another's as Lucas tightened his grip on her waist. _

_Haley wasn't going to lie, with Lucas, everything felt so natural, like she had been with Lucas for some time now, learning the way his lips moved as well as his body. She pulled away from him in need of air. Touching her forehead against his. Her breath caught in her throat; that look was for her, that intense look of desire. _

_"Do you want to come inside?" She asked before she even registered the words that had just escaped her lips. _

_Lucas smiled. He wasn't going to say he was surprised because, 'going inside' was his motive when he had driven to her house. As he was about to speak, he took a moment to look at her; he saw the innocence in her eyes just like he had seen that night at the party, which stopped him. _

_What was happening to him? Was Brooke right? __**No. **__She couldn't be. The whole reason he rushed over to Haley's was the prove Brooke wrong. But now, as he stared back at Haley, seeing her questionable eyes, he froze. Never in his life had a girl's innocence stopped him from following through with his ulterior motives. His body moved away from hers; his feet moving without him even realizing it. "I have to go." He mumbled, looking away from her finally._

"_What?" Haley asked, her voice cracking slightly. _

"_I have to go. I'm sorry." He backed away now, even more from her. "I'll see you tomorrow." He turned his back towards her and quickly walked towards his car._

_Haley remained on the front porch, watching as he backed out of her driveway. She wondered what she had done that was so wrong. She faced the front door and laid the palm of her hand on the cold frame. She let out a heavy sigh before opening the door and slowly walking inside._

She slammed the door to her locker shut and walked in his direction. Unfortunately, he was standing between her and the room for her next class. She avoided eye contact, but that didn't stop him. He grabbed a hold of her arm gently, bringing her into one of the few empty classrooms. "I'm going to be late for class." Haley said, her voice sounding unusually calm.

"I don't care." He replied before shutting the door.

She rolled her eyes.

"We need to talk about last night." He added.

"There's nothing to talk about." She moved past him towards the closed door, but once again, he stopped her by grabbing onto her arm. This time, he didn't let go.

"I just think we were moving too fast." He let out; of course, this was a lie. Nothing ever moved too fast for Lucas Scott, but what else could he say?

"Are you kidding me?" She asked. She placed her things down on an empty desk, loudly. Turning around, she crossed her arms over her chest, defensively. "I know for a fact that has never stopped you before."

"Those were different."

"How so? Because you wanted those girls more than you want me?" A single tear ran down her cheek; she felt more tears coming, but she only allowed the one to fall.

"What?" Lucas asked, his voice turning to a quieter, gentler tone. He walked closer to her, placing his hands on her arms. "How could you think that?"

She shrugged in response; her arms fell to her sides.

He continued, "I left last night because I've never wanted anyone the way I want you." He bit down on his tongue, mentally cursing himself for what he was saying.

"And that made you want to leave?" She couldn't see the connection.

"I didn't want you to do anything you'd regret." He paused for a second, taking in the sight before him. "I care about you, Haley."

Haley nodded slowly. There was something about the way he was looking at her that made her believe every single word he said to her. She brought her lips to his, kissing him gently. Lucas kept his eyes open to show that all of this was merely an act. But, once she deepened the kiss, his real feelings took over.

Haley pulled away, and smiled. "I better go to class."

Lucas nodded, not saying a word.

She placed her books in her bag then turned to look at Lucas, "What are you doing this weekend?"

Lucas shook his head, releasing the many thoughts in his head. "Um, nothing. Why?"

Haley walked towards him, a smile still playing on her lips. "My sister's wedding is on Saturday. I want you to come with me."

Lucas laughed, and shook his head once again, "I don't know…"

"Oh." Haley said, her happiness taking a complete turn for the worse. "Okay." She grabbed onto the strap on her shoulder for some support as she made her way towards the door.

Lucas sighed heavily. If he was going to continue this, he had to be convincing. He just wanted to get this over with, but nothing was ever that easy, or at least, it hadn't been lately. "Haley."

Haley stopped and turned around to look at him, "Yeah?"

"I'd love to go with you."

"Yeah?" She asked again, this time her voice was cheerful and upbeat.

He nodded in response.

She ran over to him, jumping into his arms as if they had known, or even dated, each other for years. Lucas stumbled backwards, not expecting her reaction. "Thank you." She said, looking down at him.

"You're welcome." He said, laughing slightly.

**Please review:) Thanks for reading.**


	7. Baby, We Ain't Gonna Live Forever

**Even though I said I would have more time, it still took me forever to update. I'm soooo sorry! Thanks for all the reviews, you know I love them. I hope you like this next chapter!**

Chapter 7: "Baby, We Ain't Gonna Live Forever"

Haley looked into the mirror in front of her, touching up the single strands of hair that were left uncurled. Today was her sister's wedding. She, fortunately, was not one of the many bridesmaids. Since her family was so big and, of course, Quinn had many close friends; Haley opted out of being in the wedding party. It wasn't her.

Lucas was going with her to the wedding and as much as she tried to fight it, she couldn't help but smile. She had never felt this way before. Of course, Lucas was the only boy that Haley had ever been involved with, and she was okay with that. She would have never thought that he, of all people, would mean anything to her.

She finished getting ready and walked downstairs. "You look beautiful, Haley." Her mother said.

Haley smiled. "I'm going to go pick up Lucas. Can I borrow the car and meet you at the church?" Her parents hadn't met him yet, but they were going to soon enough. Haley had explained him to them in a vague way; she didn't want to act like her sisters who just went on and on about the boys they were seeing. She _had _to be different; she _was _different.

"I thought he was coming here."

"He was, but I got done earlier than I thought I would, so I thought I'd surprise him."

"Surprise him?" Her mom quirked an eyebrow at Haley's remark.

"Mom!" One of Haley's older sisters yelled from upstairs. "Uh oh." Her mom sighed heavily. "Fine, take the car. The keys are in the kitchen." She gave Haley a kiss on the cheek before running upstairs.

------

Haley rang the doorbell once she had reached Lucas' house. She had never been to his house before. Once she had gotten there, she stared at the large establishment for a few minutes, taking everything in. It took her some time to overcome her nerves.

The door opened after what seemed like, to her, quite some time. It was a woman, who Haley figured was Lucas' mother. She was wearing a very revealing top with tight jeans; she was definitely unlike any mother she's ever encountered.

"Can I help you?" She asked. Her words were slurred and slow. Haley saw a drink in one of her hands which explained the sight before her.

"I, um…I'm Haley." She said nervously.

"Okay?" She took a sip from her glass and stared at her blankly.

"I'm here to pick up Lucas." She tucked some of her hair behind her ear. When awkward situations arose, such as these, Haley would often keep her hands busy in an unconscious way, whether it involved her looking at them or moving them.

Deb continued to just stare at her.

"Mom, I got it." Lucas said from behind her. He walked past her, out on to the steps where Haley was standing. "Just go back inside." He added, closing the door once Deb had decided to abide to his request.

"I thought I was coming to your house." He said, looking down at Haley.

"I had to get out of the house. It was crazy with Quinn and all the other girls getting ready." She paused slightly before continuing, "I also thought it would be a good idea to come get you so that you wouldn't have to drive over to my house." Her words were quick and spoken closely together. She took in a deep breath before continuing once again, "And I got done earlier than I thought I would, so I thought I would come and get you." She was babbling. And, she was looking like an idiot. She mentally cursed herself for this. "I'm sorry." She said, walking down the steps.

"Hey," Lucas said gently as he caught up to her. He grabbed Haley's hand, intertwining their fingers. "It's okay."

She smiled, nodding her head. "So, that was your mom?"

He looked down at the ground, keeping himself from looking directly at her. "Um, yeah."

"Do you want to talk –"

"You ready to go?" He asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Yeah." She tried to keep the tone of her voice moderate and happy.

They began walking towards the car, their fingers still intertwined. Haley brought the side of his hand up to her lips, kissing it gently. If he wasn't going to talk about it, she had to find some way to comfort him.

Lucas watched as she did this and smiled; smiling wasn't something he wanted to do at that moment, but he couldn't help it.

-----

Haley hadn't seen her parents since she and Lucas had arrived at the church; she was happy about this. She didn't know what her parents would say with Lucas present. They always had a way of revealing embarrassing comments such as how old Haley was when she had inquired about sex, and they were even known to bring out the naked baby pictures when someone new was involved. She didn't want any surprises today.

The church was beginning to fill up since the ceremony should be starting any minute. She looked over at Lucas, who was continued to stare towards the front of the room.

Apparently, he could feel her eyes on him. He turned his head in her direction and smiled, "What?"

"Nothing." She said quickly before she began fiddling with her hands.

Lucas had already picked up on her habit. After all, most of the moments they had spent together he had, had a certain affect on her and this was always the outcome. He placed his hand on hers, ceasing the movement. "What?" He asked again.

She brought her eyes back up to his. "How come your mom didn't know who I was?"

Lucas broke eye contact, his eyes moving towards the floor beneath them. Haley continued, "I mean, maybe I'm stupid, but I thought we had a serious thing going here."

He remained quiet, still not looking at her. "Okay, I _am _stupid."

"We do." He said quietly. It was almost too quiet to hear, but Haley had, indeed, heard his words. He finally looked at her. "We do." He said once again. Haley smiled, and unknown to her, it pained Lucas to utter those words for obvious reasons. This was all a bet, a stupid bet. He never thought he'd start to have feelings for her. That's why he left the other night. If he hadn't felt anything for her, he would have finished what he started. But, things were complicated, and he wasn't used to complications when it came to relationships.

"Then what's the problem?" She asked.

He shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "You saw my mom. She's not exactly all there."

Haley nodded; sadness developed in her eyes. She hated that he had to deal with that. When she had first seen his mother, she figured it was just bad timing; apparently, it was a common occurrence. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Don't worry about it." He said sheepishly.

"I will worry about it. You want to know why?" She moved her face closer to his, "Because you're important to me."

He smiled sadly. He knew it was true, and, unfortunately, that saddened him. He pushed the negative feelings aside, however. He would have to deal with that in the future, but not now. He kissed her softly, feeling the smile on her lips. When he pulled away, he placed his forehead gently against hers. "Likewise." And for the first time since he had met her, he spoke nothing _but _the truth.

"Hey, you two." A voice said, throwing them out of their moment.

"Peyton!" Haley exclaimed. She got up from her seat and hugged her friend. "You're finally here."

"Well, it doesn't look like I've been missed _too _much." She said, jokingly. "Hey, Lucas." She smiled, as did he.

"Peyton." He greeted her, "You look nice." The tone of his voice was friendly as he spoke to her.

"Thank you."

Jake appeared moments later, "The presents taken care of." He told Peyton.

"Good." She said before she and Jake took a seat next to Haley. "Let the torture begin." She whispered to her friend.

Haley smiled, knowing how much Peyton hated weddings. She then looked back at Lucas, who quickly smiled in her direction.

**The next chapter is going to start off where this one leaves off. ;)**

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**


	8. It’s Too Late For Dignity

Chapter 8:

**Hey everyone! I'm so sorry it's been forever since I updated, but this chapter is longer than the previous ones; I hope you like it. Thank you so much for the reviews! I really do appreciate it. I want to hear from everyone who reads this story because the feedback is very important to me. Anyways, enjoy!**

Chapter 8: It's Too Late For Dignity

The ceremony was finally over; her sister was married, which meant more room in the James household. Haley and Lucas walked hand in hand outside, in the back of the church where all the pictures were being taken. Haley's mother ushered her over the group of family members. She looked up at Lucas. He squeezed her hand before letting it go. "I'll be right back." She quickly said before rushing over to her family.

Lucas let out a loud sigh before loosening his tie drastically. Even though he was starting to care for Haley, he wasn't going to let that change _who_ he was (or at least, that's what he continued to tell himself).

Peyton came up next to Lucas, "Hey." She said, ending the silence that surrounded him.

He nodded, acknowledging her presence. They stood side by side watching the James' attempting a few _nice, family photos_. From a distance, Haley made a goofy face in order to change the dull atmosphere of the previous pictures they had taken. Lucas smiled to himself, something he _thought _went unnoticed.

"So, things are going good with you two?" Peyton asked, turning her body so that she was facing Lucas.

"Yep." Lucas answered quietly. He wouldn't make eye contact with her, and of course, Peyton caught on to this.

"Then, why do you look so sad?"

Lucas finally looked in her direction, their eyes meeting. "I don't know what you're talking about." He said, simply brushing her off.

She nodded slowly, her eyes finally tearing themselves away. "Don't hurt her." Her words were simple, yet stern. He wouldn't expect any less coming from a best friend. With that, she walked away, leaving him alone to watch her retreating form.

**--**

"So, what'd you think?" Haley asked as they walked towards the front door of her house.

Lucas smiled, tightening the grasp on her hand. "Pretty interesting family you got there, Hales."

She smiled widely. It wasn't that she found it humorous that he thought her family was, as he put it so nicely, "interesting", it was the way he called her 'Hales'. Of course many people had used it before, but with him, it was different. "If someone had told me months ago that Lucas Scott would be coming with me to my sister's wedding, I would have laughed in their face". Her words were random as her thoughts consumed her. She couldn't believe how different things had become over the last few weeks.

He laughed and nodded in agreement. As they finally reached her door, he watched as Haley walked to the top step, stopping so that her body was turned in his direction. "Are you coming in?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow.

His feet were still planted on the sidewalk as she stood above him, looking down in his direction. His body rocked back and forth slowly, almost slow enough for someone under usual circumstances to ignore; not her. "I should be getting home." He said quietly.

She let out a soft sigh, walking down the stairs so that she was now only one step above him, which made up for their height, equaling the difference. "Are you sure?" She asked, grabbing a hold of his loose tie and pulling him towards her. "Because, my parents had a lot to drink at the reception and I doubt they're coming home anytime soon or even at all." She laughed shortly at the thought of them and their ways.

Lucas couldn't help but kiss her lips softly, placing his forehead against hers as they parted. "Is that a yes?" Haley asked almost inaudibly. It didn't take much for him to have an affect over her.

She thought back to the night she had first asked him to come inside.

"_I have to go. I'm sorry". _The words echoed throughout her head; the words of rejection. He had said that she was different, that the way he felt about other girls was nothing compared to the way he felt about her; could she believe him? With Lucas, she was willing to do things, things she wouldn't normal even consider with any other guy; and, that scared her.

"Okay." He said, tearing her away from her thoughts.

Butterflies began to form in her stomach as she took in his words. She nodded, turning around so that she could walk inside, with Lucas closely behind. "So, did you _really _have a good time today?" She asked, the sound of the door clicking shut behind her. It took her a minute to finally turn around to look at him; the dark, quiet house making her even more nervous. But, there was no going back; it was _her _idea after all.

He was leaning, casually, against the door, staring at her. "Is that why you asked me to come in, so that we could talk about my day?"

Without waiting for her answer, he inched his way closer to her, bringing the palms of his hands to the sides of her arms. Her body reacted, shivering at his touch. He smiled at this. "Are you cold?" He asked her, already knowing the answer.

"No." She said, quickly. She was now no longer looking at him, but behind him, if that were even possible since the door was settled directly behind his back. However, once he moved even closer, their bodies clashing against the other, she finally brought her eyes back to his. "You still make me nervous." She admitted to him, somewhat embarrassed.

He brought one hand up to the side of her face and smiled. He remained still, Peyton's words echoing through his mind: _Don't hurt her. _As much as he now hated to admit it, that was the last thing he wanted to ever do; Brooke was going to have a field day with this.

Haley brought her somewhat shaky hand up to his tie, loosening it even more, until it dropped to the floor.

He watched her every move, as if it were in slow motion; quickly, it became unbearable. He crashed his lips roughly against her expectant ones, in one swift motion.

She brought her hands to the back of his neck, pulling him even closer. His body weight was too much for her smaller frame, and before she knew it, her back slammed against the adjacent wall. This move slightly snapped him back into reality, causing him to put some distance between them, "Haley,"

"Yeah?" She breathed out, her eyes still closed.

"Maybe we should slow down." He said. His former self would have laughed in his face, if that were possible. What was he now? He was actually caring for someone, worrying about taking some girl's virginity away. **But, **she wasn't just _some girl. _She was Haley.

"Um," She looked up at him and nodded slowly; pain filled her eyes. "Yeah…sure." She moved away from him slowly and walked upstairs.

Lucas sighed heavily before he followed her lead. Once he looked into those eyes of hers, he knew he said the wrong thing. He walked into her room, seeing her taking off her shoes as she sat on the bed. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm great!" She exclaimed before getting off the bed and walking in the direction of her closet.

"Hales…"

"My boyfriend-well, no, not my boyfriend-the guy I like, finds me repulsing. I'm, just, wonderful!"

"What?" He asked in disbelief. How could she think that?

"Do you think I'm stupid?" She asked him as he looked at her with his mouth slightly dropped out of confusion. "I mean, do you think that I don't know for a fact that you have slept with practically our entire female population at school?" She brought her hands to the back of her dress, wanting to get out of the tight material that was just adding to her stress.

"Haley, those girls…"

"Are attractive? Intriguing?" She finally found her zipper as she emerged from her closet to look at him. "You know, I bet I could stand here naked and you still wouldn't want me." She attempted at her zipper but had no such luck; of course it was stuck.

Lucas walked over to her, seeing that she was struggling. He went behind her, placing his hand on hers to stop her movement. She sighed slightly, never able to ignore his touch. "Look," He began slowly, "Yes, I've been with a lot of girls."

Haley couldn't help but roll her eyes. "But, I've never felt anything for them."

She remained in place, ignoring the cold air that came rushing to her, now, bare back.

"They never meant anything to me, like you do."

"Yeah." She said quietly.

"I didn't want those girls the way I want you." He said quietly, almost too ashamed to admit it.

He waited for her to say something, anything, but she didn't. "Haley," His voice continued to be soft, but this time it were as if he were pleading with her to turn around.

And, she did. She slowly turned around to face him, her lips curved into a small smile. "So, you basically just said you're a man whore." She said, her smile growing even wider.

He couldn't help but smile himself. "I was." He said, pulling her towards him. "I _was _a man whore."

Her smile faded to a serious look as she brought her hand to his chest, moving it slowly down his torso until she reached the bottom rim of his shirt. "You still kinda are." She whispered before kissing him softly. She began walking backwards towards her bed, and he had no option but to follow her; he didn't want one.

**--**

Haley started to toss in her bed as the light from outside began to become brighter as the morning progressed. Slowly, her eyes began to open. Her bathroom door was closed, causing her to furrow her brow in confusion. She sat up in bed, combing the excess hair away from her face with her hand. Spotting the clothes on the floor, the activities of the night before began to flash through her mind. She lied back down and smiled to herself.

Next to the bed, on the opposite side of her, Lucas' phone began to beep. She looked towards the bathroom to see if Lucas was going to come out, but he didn't. Reaching over, she grabbed his phone and opened it.

He had a text message from Brooke, which only peaked her interest more. "Time's wearing thin. She's not going to give it up. You've always overestimated your charm, baby." She read the message out loud to herself. Was Brooke talking about _her_? Her mouth dropped slightly.

The bathroom doorknob began to click. Quickly, she closed his phone and put it back in place.

He walked out of the bathroom, smiling as he saw that she was up. "Hey, you." He said, sitting on the bed.

"Hey."

He kissed her neck softly before moving up to her cheek. When he felt that her body continued to stay stiff, he moved away to look at her. "You okay?"

"Yeah….yeah, I'm okay."

_No, she wasn't. _

**Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it!!**


	9. Truth Doesn't Always Set You Free

**Thank you for the reviews! This update came a little bit quicker than my normal updates, surprisingly. I guess that's what happens when you watch LH video's on you tube. Enjoy!**

Chapter 9: "Truth Doesn't Always Set You Free"

Haley stared straight ahead while she sat in the busy lunchroom with Peyton. She had, successfully, avoided Lucas all day. She kept replaying the words from the text message she had seen yesterday. Brooke _had_ to have been talking about her; unless, he was cheating on her. Of course he was cheating on her. She knew a guy like that couldn't go without sex for very long.

She unconsciously dropped her plastic fork onto the table, causing a slight noise, forcing her out of her thoughts momentarily. Shaking her head, she looked over at Peyton to see her staring back at her. "What?" She asked, picking up her fork and tossing it aside on her tray.

"You're officially scaring me." Peyton said.

Haley simply rolled her eyes before Peyton continued, "What's going on with you?"

She hadn't told Peyton anything. In most cases, Peyton would be the first one she would confide in. Was she embarrassed? Honestly, she didn't think there was anything to be embarrassed about – she cared about Lucas, and even though Peyton hated to admit it sometimes, she knew this was the case. But, Haley needed to find out the truth before she said anything. "I'm fine, Peyton." She said, emotionless.

Peyton nodded slowly, not buying her statement at all. "Alright." She got up from her seat in front of her best friend. "When you want to tell me the truth, you know where to find me." Grabbing her tray, she walked away before Haley could get in a word edge-wise.

After rubbing her temples in frustration, she looked to the far end of the room, and saw them – those blue eyes that sent a chill down her spine with each look. _Clearly, _he had been watching the scene between them; his eyes were questioning. Luckily, she didn't have to worry about him coming over; he rarely ate lunch with her at school. Finally breaking eye contact, she saw Brooke come into view, staring daggers in her direction. If she wasn't sure before, she was sure now that Brooke had been, in fact, talking about her.

Finally, she got up from the table, following Peyton's lead.

--

"Haley." He called out, stopping her dead in her tracks; he must have run after her. She took in a deep breath before turning around to face him.

"Hey." She said, forcing a smile.

He couldn't help but smile, "Hey." He said, reaching out and grabbing her hand, his thumb rubbing her skin softly.

Her eyes shut slightly, but quickly reopened as she slowly jerked her hand away from his touch. "Are you okay?" He asked, pulling her hand back to his grasp, against her will.

How dare he act this way; most gestures such as these would be considered affectionate and loving; knowing this was not the case, Haley became even more frustrated. Looking down at their hands, she finally managed the nerve to look back into those eyes. "You got a text from Brooke yesterday." She said, her eyes never leaving his, as if they were challenging him now. They widened at the mention of Brooke; this wasn't a good sign.

"Haley…" His voice was soft, yet pleading.

"Is it true?" She asked, her eyes beginning to swell up with tears. When he didn't answer, her threatening tears began to fall. She could feel eyes from her peers on her as they passed the couple in the hallway. "This was just all some joke to you?" Her voice was rising with each word.

Tightening the grasp on her hand, he led her to an empty classroom that wouldn't be vacant for long; however, he had no other choice. As he turned to look at her, he finally spoke, "Haley, you don't understand…"

"Oh, I think I do." She brought her free hand up to her face, wiping her wet cheeks dry. "I can't believe I slept with you…that I let myself fall for your crap!"

"Just let me explain." He was pleading with her in a way that he'd never done with anyone else. He knew why this was eating him up inside, even if he didn't want to admit it; in this midst of her falling for "his crap", as she put it, he fell for her.

She shook her head; the unbelievable state she was in was catching up to her. "What's the point, Lucas?" She could barely feel the tears anymore because of how quickly they were dropping.

"Look, it started off as something I'm not proud of…" His words drifted as she tore her eyes away from his angrily. Bringing his hands up to the sides of her face, he forced her to look up at him. "I want to be with you, Haley. I've wanted to be with you since this whole thing started; I was just too stubborn to admit it." His words were rushed and forceful, something he'd never expected them to be.

She searched his eyes for some indication on whether or not his words were lies, but it was useless. Lucas Scott was a very guarded person. Even in the midst of all of these declarations, she still couldn't tell if they meant anything. "I don't believe you." She pulled herself away from him in one, rough motion. Walking towards the door, she could feel his eyes on her. She turned around before reaching the door, "Next time you see me, don't talk to me." And with that, she was gone.

Lucas' head dipped down in defeat. He turned his attention to the main metal desk beside him, kicking it hard out of anger.

--

As she entered the hallway, she made her way to the exit doors, needing to get out of the building as soon as possible. She passed Brooke on her way out, and decided to give her the same look Brooke had given her moments before in the lunch room. Had Haley been a violent person, she probably would have given her a lot more.

"Let me guess, Tutor Girl couldn't handle the break up?" Lucas heard a familiar voice say as he exited the classroom.

He passed right by her, ignoring her words. However, she wouldn't be Brooke Davis if she just decided to let things go. "Come on, Luke," She began, following his lead, "You gotta give a girl something here."

Finally, he stopped walking and turned to look at her. She began to smile, knowing that she had cracked him, "You and me...we're done." He said harshly, before walking away.

She didn't like this at all.

**Thanks for reading and please review! I hope you all liked the small season 1 throwback to LH's fight. :)**


	10. I Hate This Part

**Thank you so much for the reviews! They mean ****so**** much to me. I know it's been waaaay too long since I've updated, but I do my best with school, and when I have time in my breaks. Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy the update! P.S. I'm re uploading this 'cause there seems to be some confusion at the end - I did mean Nathan. Since the whole incident, Lucas and Brooke have not spoken. ;)  
**

**Chapter 10: I Hate This Part**

Haley threw off the covers to her bed from her body, as a rough knock against the door caused her to stir. She walked over to her mirror, taking a quick look at herself. To say she looked terrible was putting it nicely. It was bad enough that she had never had her heart broken before, but for it to be like this? To find out that she was nothing but a bet? She tore her swollen, red eyes from the mirror, not being able to look at herself any longer. She had finally stopped crying. A part of her wanted to believe it was because she wasn't hurt anymore, but the other part knew that was a lie; she just didn't have the energy to continue.

"Haley." She heard the voice call from behind the door. It was Peyton. She was surprised she even bothered to knock. She got back in bed after mumbling a "come in".

Peyton opened the door, closely it behind her quickly. She took a look at her miserable friend before walking into the room, taking a seat next beside her on the bed. "So," She sighed, laying her body next to her best friend, "You slept with him and found out he was a complete ass."

Haley brought her eyes to Peyton before throwing the sheets back over her, completely. "How'd you know?" Her voice muffled against the sheets as she spoke.

"Well, I am awesome." She smiled brightly, trying to lighten the mood; however, once she saw Haley's face, she knew it was no use. "I'm not stupid, Hales." She added in all seriousness.

Haley threw the sheets away from her, for the second time, in frustration. She finally brought her eyes back to Peyton's after quite some time. "Once again, you're right, and once again, the smart girl is _really_ stupid." Her tone was drenched with anger and hatred for herself. Tears began to form in her eyes, tears she didn't know she had left.

"Haley…" She wasn't used to seeing Haley so vulnerable. She was always the one to take care of others, especially Peyton.

Haley shook her heads as tears streamed down her face. "I was in love with him, Peyton."

This took her off guard. She hadn't even admitted it to _herself_ that she was in love, but she was, and that's why it hurt her so badly; granted, it would have hurt anyone in her situation, but this, this was different.

"I know." Peyton said before taking Haley's hand in hers and giving it a tight, comforting squeeze.

Haley smiled sadly. "That's what I get for trying to be happy." She said softly.

Peyton's eyes widened at her confession. It broke her heart watching Haley give up on happiness and think that she didn't even deserve it in the first place. After some inner debate, she got up from her position on the bed.

"Where are you going?" Haley asked, sitting up slightly.

"I've got to go do something really quick." She walked towards the door and looked back to see a very confused Haley. "Rest up. When I come back, we'll pig out on ice cream and talk about how much boys suck!" She exclaimed.

"Okay?" She watched Peyton's retreating form before sinking back into her slouched position and letting out, yet another, heavy sigh.

-----

Moments later, Peyton found herself banging on a very unfamiliar door to a very dark and quiet house. She had seen Lucas' car in the driveway, and only his; he had to be home.

The door opened slowly, revealing a very tired looking Lucas. He was dressed in sweat pants and a plain white undershirt; his hair was a disaster, as was the redness that surrounded his eyes. She knew he hadn't been crying; Lucas Scott, not matter what the circumstances, did not cry. However, she knew he was very upset.

Her angry behavior somewhat softened at the sight of him; however, it was still very much there. "You look like ass."

Lucas rolled his eyes before leaning his body against the door for support. "What do you want, Peyton?" Her bluntness and animosity was not something he could handle right now.

"I told you not to hurt her, Lucas."

All he did was sigh heavily. If he could take back everything circumstance surrounding the reason for why he and Haley got together, he would. The way she looked at him after she found out, played over and over in his mind; it broke his heart. "How's she doing?"

"Same as you." She paused, taking in his appearance once again, "Maybe a little better, actually." She smiled sadly as she added those last words.

He nodded slowly in response. He took a step towards her, walking outside, and shutting the door behind him. After all, Lucas rarely let anyone inside. Crossing his arms over his chest, he let out a quick breath. "She found a text message from Brooke."

Peyton nodded, urging him to continue.

"This whole thing started as just a stupid bet." His head shook at the last word. He bent down to take a seat on the stairs leading up to the front door. "If I had known it would have turned out like this…" His words stopped as the feelings he had for Haley just seemed to rush through his body. "This was supposed to be easy." He added as he tousled his hair with his fingers.

"Nothing ever is." Peyton said from behind him. She walked over beside him, taking a seat next to him on the cold brick. "Obviously, you're no where near the person you used to be."

Lucas brought his eyes up to hers; the words she spoke were peaking at his interest.

"Do you love her?" Her tone was just a serious as her question.

He shook his head, breaking eye contact with her. "I'm not good enough for her."

After a moment of some silence, Peyton spoke," Why don't you let her be the judge of that?" And with that, she stood up and began walking to her car.

Lucas watched her retreating form, quirking his eyebrow as she stopped and turned back around. "You know, I never pegged Lucas Scott as a quitter. I must have been wrong about you." Shrugging her shoulders, she continued her walk back to the car.

-----

Haley had finally managed to get herself out of bed. She walked downstairs, wondering where Peyton was; she hadn't heard from her since her visit earlier. Just as she reached the bottom of the stairs, a soft knock could be heard from the other side of her front door. Assuming it was Peyton, she opened the door quickly, "It's about…" Her words slowed as she saw the person standing in front of her, "time."

"Judging by your face I can tell you're not happy to see me." A feminine voice said from a few inches away.

"And judging by your face, I can tell you're in for a good hit." Haley responded, her voice streaming with cattiness.

A raspy laugh echoed throughout the front of the house.

"What do you want, Brooke?" Haley added.

"Don't read too much into this. I didn't come to apologize to you."

Haley's eyebrow quirked; her mouth dropped open slightly at her words. She grabbed the back of the door, bringing it to a close; but, was stopped.

Brooke's stern hand prevented the heavy door from closing, "Look, Lucas is like my family."

Now it was Haley's turn to laugh. "Yeah, I guess if you fuck your brother, then that would be considered family". She rolled her eyes.

"Shows what you know." Brooke said, roughly. Letting out a heavy sigh, she continued, "I don't know what you did, but for some reason, he likes you. A lot. Hell, he might even be in love with you. I've never seen him look so hurt." She paused, collecting her thoughts. "Fact is, he's had it pretty rough. And even through all of that, he's still always managed to pull through it, but not this time."

"What are you getting at, Brooke?"

"Swallow your pride, Haley. We were just trying to have some fun."

"Your idea of _fun _is seriously revolting." Haley snapped back. She was sick and tired of hearing the word _fun _when it came to explaining this situation.

"Maybe so." Brooke said, shrugging her shoulders. "But, looks like it worked out in the end for you, after all".

Haley shook her head, not believing this was happening. She had never spoken a word to Brooke Davis, and pretty much assumed she never would. But now, she Queen Bitch of Tree Hill was actually standing on her door step, trying to help out someone else.

"Why are you doing this?"

Brooke smiled slightly. "Maybe Nathan's whining about Lucas is getting on my nerves." And with that, she walked away, leaving Haley to collect her thoughts.

**Please review and let me know what you think!**


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